Professional Experience

September 2018 to present: Investigative Reporter at WINK News

Previously worked as a multimedia journalist at WCJB TV20 News, WUFT-TV and WUFT-FM in Gainesville, FL; and as an investigative intern at WPLG Local 10 News in Miami, FL

Member of National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE)

Awards & Recognition

2019 Excellence in Broadcast News Award for Transportation / Traffic Series reporting, Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists (FABJ) – “Waiting in the Dark”

2019 NATAS Suncoast Regional Emmy Nomination for Education / Schools News reporting– “Waiting in the Dark”

2019 Young Journalist Award for Broadcast, Press Club of Southwest Florida

2019 Sunshine State Award for Multimedia Feature, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) – “You Are Now Live” (2nd Place)

2019 Excellence in Innovation in TV, Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, RTDNA – “Locked Out Florida”

2018 Awards for Photo Essay & Short Hard News Feature, Florida Associated Press Broadcasters (now FABJ) College Contest

News Philosophy

“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” — Ida B. Wells

Hobbies, Interests & Community Involvement

Sara is a big fan of live theater and performing arts, traveling to faraway places, volunteering, playing roller derby, Gator football, spoiling her nieces and nephews, and cuddling up next to her dog Mickey.

Education

Master’s in Mass Communication and Bachelor’s in Telecommunication News from the University of Florida

Go Gators!

Cars evacuating before Hurricane Irma makes landfall. (Credit: WINK News)

Florida Dept. of Transportation issues new hurricane evacuation rules

When a hurricane hits, no one wants to be stuck in traffic trying to evacuate. The Florida Department of Transportation updated its evacuation plan and will now let you drive on the shoulder of certain roads during major hurricane evacuations. MORE: FDOT – Emergency Shoulder Use Before Hurricane Irma caused devastation in September 2017, the roads […]

Florida hosts ‘hemp rules workshops’ for program input

They’re hard to miss. Retailers all over Southwest Florida sell CBD and hemp products. And hemp is a hot topic this week, as the state holds what it calls “hemp rules workshops.” We looked at the hemp industry in our area and what these state meetings are set up to accomplish. Florida Department of Agriculture […]

Florida heat drains your car battery: Here’s what you can do to help

During this heat, you’re probably making sure to stay hydrated and re-applying your sunscreen. New residents like Linda McNamara are taking full advantage of the sunshine. “It’s hard to beat it, you have the beach and you have the palm trees, I don’t care how hot it gets,” McNamara said. But what are you doing […]

MW Horticulture North Yard site. Photo via WINK News.

MW Horticulture seeks extension to clear debris, misses Thursday deadline

Will a local company get another chance Thursday is the deadline for MW Horticulture Recycling Facility to get rid of a mulch pile sitting at its sit in North Fort Myers. But a few hours ago, MW Horticulture requested two more months to get rid of the debris from Hurricane Irma. Now, MW Horticulture is […]

FDA holds first public hearing on legalizing CBD in food and drinks

The FDA held its the first public hearing Friday on a plan to legalize CBD in food and drinks. CBD comes from plants in the cannabis family, but unlike marijuana, it won’t make you high. Cannabis-related products have flooded the market, making health claims about pain relief, immune function and anxiety and depression and it’s expected […]

Bus driver shortage contributes to long, dark morning rides for Lee students

It is the last day of school in Lee County. And for thousands of kids, that means a break from middle-of-the-night, wake-up calls and long, dark bus rides. MORE: Why are so many kids in Lee County waiting for the bus in the dark? Autumn is a student at Estero High School. She wakes up […]

Boy on the playground. (Credit: CBS News)

SWFL parents learn to manage despite crippling child care costs

The cost of child care is taking a toll on families all across Southwest Florida and the nation, but it does not only affect those with children. Moms Kaylee Polich and Megan Johnson don’t know each other, but they share the same problems: how to take care of their kids and how to pay for […]

How to teach your kids to recognize and escape scary situations

Since the beginning of 2019, there have been at least four cases of kids reporting suspicious people just in the city of Fort Myers. This includes a story WINK News brought you Wednesday, where a girl said a man tried to grab her when she was walking near Six Mile Cypress Parkway and Winkler Extension. […]